Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Santa Rita

For one person, living is cheaper in Santa Rita: $932 a month against $1,837 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $10,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,837

/mo nomad

Santa Rita

🇵🇾 Paraguay

$932

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Santa Rita

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Nosara and in Santa Rita actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,837 per month in Nosara vs $932 in Santa Rita, rent included.

Nosara $1,837
Santa Rita $932

A couple spends around $2,775 per month in Nosara vs $1,412 in Santa Rita, rent included.

Nosara $2,775
Santa Rita $1,412

A family of three spends $3,712 per month in Nosara vs $1,893 in Santa Rita, rent included.

Nosara $3,712
Santa Rita $1,893

Nosara costs about 97% more than Santa Rita, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Nosara sits 37% above the global median, while Santa Rita is 30% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.22 ₡5,509

$3.43 ₲19.6K

256.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.2 ₡27.1K

$33.54 ₲191.9K

79.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.54 ₡3,399

Cappuccino

$4.31 ₡1,941

$3.33 ₲19.1K

29.43%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.72 ₡773

$0.87 ₲4,988

97.70%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.35 ₡608

$0.49 ₲2,805

175.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 ₡1,459

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.48 ₡2,018

$1.34 ₲7,644

234.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.57 ₡707

$1.12 ₲6,422

40.18%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 ₡1,429

$1.82 ₲10.4K

74.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.42 ₡1,091

$1.15 ₲6,606

110.43%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,609

$2.74 ₲15.7K

30.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,349

$7.86 ₲45.0K

-5.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.42 ₡4,697

$4.33 ₲24.8K

140.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.66 ₡6,156

$11.25 ₲64.4K

21.42%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 ₡1,044

$5.25 ₲30.0K

-55.81%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡728

Oranges (1kg)

$4.74 ₡2,138

$3.43 ₲19.6K

38.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.66 ₡747

$3.09 ₲17.7K

-46.28%

Potato (1kg)

$3.72 ₡1,679

$3.30 ₲18.9K

12.73%

Onion (1kg)

$3.57 ₡1,611

$2.61 ₲15.0K

36.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ₡497

$0.81 ₲4,643

35.80%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.55 ₡1,149

$1.40 ₲8,014

82.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.95 ₡2,232

Wine (Bottle)

$20.01 ₡9,020

$5.07 ₲29.0K

294.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.79 ₡1,256

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.53 ₡1,589

$2.75 ₲15.7K

28.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.19 ₡537

$1.33 ₲7,591

-10.53%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.1 ₡32.5K

$40.55 ₲232.0K

77.73%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.24 ₡1,011

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.55 ₡701

$4.37 ₲25.0K

-64.53%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.86 ₡3,993

$3.83 ₲21.9K

131.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.57 ₡708

$1.42 ₲8,152

10.56%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$21.8K ₡9.8M

$9,647 ₲55.2M

126.02%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$34.6K ₡15.6M

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$93.5 ₡42.1K

$105 ₲599.4K

-10.79%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$35.11 ₡15.8K

$23.85 ₲136.5K

47.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.5 ₡23.2K

$37.63 ₲215.3K

36.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.4 ₡32.2K

$43.27 ₲247.6K

65.01%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.44 ₡16.0K

$25.68 ₲146.9K

38.01%

Cinema Ticket

$7.84 ₡3,535

$8.31 ₲47.6K

-5.66%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$490 ₡220.7K

$77.2 ₲441.4K

534.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.4M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 ₡24.1K

$50.9 ₲291.2K

5.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.8 ₡25.1K

$83.6 ₲478.5K

-33.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.3 ₡35.7K

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.9 ₡35.6K

$68.9 ₲394.3K

14.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$786 ₡354.3K

$346 ₲2.0M

127.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$780 ₡351.6K

$254 ₲1.5M

207.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,860 ₡1.7M

$421 ₲2.4M

816.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,407 ₡634.4K

$340 ₲1.9M

314.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,972 ₡3.1M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,201 ₡541.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$876 ₡395.0K

$514 ₲2.9M

70.54%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Nosara: October 5, 2026

Last update for Santa Rita: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$780 43%

Santa Rita

–

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$350 19.3%

Santa Rita

–

Eating Out

Nosara

$209 11.6%

Santa Rita

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$180 9.9%

Santa Rita

–

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.6%

Santa Rita

–

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Santa Rita

–

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Santa Rita

–

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $786 in Nosara versus $346 in Santa Rita. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 71% higher in Nosara, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $60.0 in Nosara versus $34.00 in Santa Rita. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $350 vs $230 – making Santa Rita the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇵🇾 Santa Rita

🕒 Local time

04:21 4:21 AM

07:21 7:21 AM

3 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

35,000

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Paraguayan Guarani PYG ₲

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

10,000 PYG = 1.75 USD

10,000 PYG = 1.56 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PYG, USD, EUR to CRC – Costa Rican Colón Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇷 Costa Rican Colón (₡)

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 451 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 505 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

Paraguayan Guarani exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 5,722 PYG (10,000 PYG = 1.75 USD). 1 EUR = 6,412 PYG (10,000 PYG = 1.56 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Nosara Santa Rita 5,170 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Santa Rita

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Nosara vs Santa Rita: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,837 in Nosara, $932 in Santa Rita – roughly 97% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,756 per month in Nosara and $1,397 in Santa Rita. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Santa Rita, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 78% less in Santa Rita. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $490 per month in Nosara and $77.2 in Santa Rita. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Santa Rita, where all-in costs run around $932, than in Nosara at $1,837. In Santa Rita it covers expenses comfortably, while in Nosara it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Nosara has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $932 in Santa Rita to $1,837 in Nosara. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Santa Rita. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Nosara makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.